Scribd
Upload
6 views

Meeting V: Parallel Construction

meeting five

Uploaded by

Hafidah Kamila
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
6 views

Meeting V: Parallel Construction

meeting five

Uploaded by

Hafidah Kamila
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 7

MEETING V

PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION
To improve the clarity of your sentence or writing, it is
important to remember the equality of your sentence
structure.

Parallel Structure means using the same construction


for sentence elements that are the same in function.
Parallel Structure also means words, phrases, or
clauses joined by the coordinate conjunctions and, or,
but have the same grammatical form.
Parallel forms are also required with the paired coordinate
conjunctions (correlatives)
Example:
They are either at their country home or at the beach

Below are THREE rules to consider when checking for


Parallel Structure in your writing.

1. Parallel Structure should be used when elements are joined


by coordinating conjunctions:
Example:
Incorrect: I am allergic to the dog’s hair and how it
smells.
Correct : I am allergic to the dog’s hair and its smell.
2. Parallel Structure should be used when writing elements in
the form of a list or a series:
Example:
Incorrect : The class valued respect, honesty, and
being on time in a teacher.
Correct : The class valued respect, honesty, and
promptness in a teacher.
3. Parallel Structure should be used when comparing or
contrasting elements (A is better than B – X is less than Y):
Example:
Incorrect : James enjoys reading more than to write.
Correct : James enjoys reading more than writing.
Example 1
Not parallel : Peter is rich, handsome, and many people
like him.
Parallel : Peter is rich, handsome, and popular.

Example 2
Not parallel : Mr. Henry is a lawyer, a politician, and he
teaches.
Parallel : Mr. Henry is a lawyer, a politician and a
teacher.
Example 3:
- Her long illness and slow recovery made her very despondent.
- She doesn’t like to get up in the morning or to go to bed at night.
- He told us that his wife had been in an accident but that luckily
she had not been hurt.
Exercise 1:
Change the following sentences so that they are parallel!
1. Ecologists are trying to preserve our environment for future
generation by protecting the ozone lawyer, purifying the air, and
have replanted the trees that have been cut down.
2. When teenagers finish high school, they have several choices:
going to college, getting a job, or the army.
3. Abraham Lincoln was a good president and was self-educated,
hard working, and always told the truth.
4. Children lov playing in the mud, running through puddles, and
they get very dirty.
5. Despite America’s affluence, many people are without jobs, on
welfare, and have a lot of debts
Exercise 2:
Make the items in parentheses grammatically parallel to the
italicized items that precede and, or, but, or not!
Example:
He spends his spare time playing golf and (collect, stamps)
He spends his spare time playing golf and collecting stamps.

1. I don’t know whether I will get the job or (I, like it, after I get it)
2. Having no money but (not, want, anyone, to know), he simply
said he would go without dinner
3. He asked when the apartment would be available and (how
much, it, cost)
4. He did it because he had to do it, not (he, wanted to)
5. He was fired not only for his inexcusable absences from the
office, but (he, was, insolent, to his superiors)

You might also like